1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mechanically forming and laser machining metal parts from a continuous strip.
2. Description of Related Art
Rotary shavers heads employ shaver cups which contact the user""s skin and include slots which permit the hairs on the skin to pass through to be clipped by the cutters mounted within the cup. The mechanical forming and machining of rotary shaver heads is a labor intensive and costly process since the cups are first drawn by conventional mechanical forming process into individual parts. The individual parts are then mounted in further machinery wherein the top portion of the cup which contacts the user""s skin is lapped, machined or other wise reduced in thickness to provide a relatively thin section. Finally, the cup is then mounted in another machine where cutting or grinding blades cut the finely spaced, individual slots in the top cup portion. This multiple processing of small parts cannot easily be automated and is costly to perform.
While laser machining to form holes has been known, laser machining processes have generally been done on finished parts (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,413), with attendant handling difficulties. While laser drilling of holes has been performed in steel sheets (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,062), this has not generally been known in conjunction with mechanical formation of the sheet material.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved process and apparatus to produce rotary shaver heads and other metal parts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus which eliminates individual handling of rotary shaver and other metal parts during process, where the process requires making fine holes in the parts.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved machining process and apparatus which provides flexibility in laser machining individual parts.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are provided in the present invention which relates in a first aspect to a process for making parts from deformable strip comprising providing a continuous strip of deformable material, preferably plastically deformable, from which parts are to be made; mechanically forming a plurality of parts in sequence along the strip; laser machining a plurality of parts in sequence along the strip; and separating the mechanically formed, laser machined parts from remaining portions of the strip. The laser machining may precede or follow the mechanically forming of the parts.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a process for making parts from strip metal comprising providing a strip of metal from which parts are to be made; partially mechanically forming a plurality of parts in a portion of the metal strip; laser machining the partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip; further mechanically forming the laser machined, partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip; and separating the further mechanically formed, laser machined parts from remaining portions of the metal strip. Preferably, the partial and further mechanically forming steps and the laser machining step include feeding the metal strip into a press to partially mechanically form the parts. The partial and further mechanically forming steps may comprise drawing the parts, and the laser machining step may comprise laser etching or laser machining holes in the parts. The method steps are preferably continuously and sequentially performed. The metal strip may be accumulated in an accumulator to control process speed differences between the partially mechanically forming step and the laser machining step or between the laser machining step and the further mechanically forming step.
In another related aspect, the present invention provides a process for making parts from strip metal comprising providing a strip of metal from which parts are to be made; providing a first press to partially mechanically form parts in the metal strip; providing a laser machining station to laser machine parts in the metal strip; and providing a second press to further mechanically form parts in the metal strip. The method is then performed by feeding the metal strip into the first press and partially mechanically forming a plurality of parts in a portion of the metal strip; thereafter feeding the metal strip into the laser machining station and laser machining the partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip; feeding the metal strip into the second press and further mechanically forming the laser machined, partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip; and separating the further mechanically formed, laser machined parts from remaining portions of the metal strip. The metal strip may be provided in coiled form, and the steps following feeding the metal strip into the first press are performed without recoiling the metal strip. The method may further include providing an accumulator between the first press and the laser machining station and accumulating metal strip in the accumulator to control process speed differences between the first press and the laser machining station. The partial mechanical forming step may comprise partially drawing the parts and the further mechanical forming step may comprise finish drawing the parts. The laser machining step may comprise laser etching the parts or laser machining holes in the parts.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, in the first press there are partially drawn a plurality of shaver cups in a portion of the metal strip, in the laser machining station there are laser machined slots in the shaver cups in the metal strip, more preferably curved slots, and in the second press there are finish drawn a plurality of the shaver cups in the metal strip.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for making parts from strip metal comprising an uncoiler adapted to uncoil a strip of metal from which parts are to be made; a first press adapted to partially mechanically form a plurality of parts in a portion of the metal strip; a laser machining station adapted to laser machine the partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip; and a second press adapted to further mechanically form the laser machined, partially mechanically formed parts while in the metal strip. Preferably, the second press is further adapted to separate the further mechanically formed, laser machined parts from remaining portions of the metal strip. The apparatus preferably includes a metal strip accumulator between the first press and the laser machining station adapted to control process speed differences between the first press and the laser machining station.